Supporting and loading arm for the drawing
mechanism op a spinning machine



March 8, 1966 H. w. STAHLECKER 3,238,570

SUPPORTING AND LOADING ARM FOR THE DRAWING MECHANISM OF A SPINNING MACHINE Filed May 10, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 25 25 2a 26 /23 /27 K L1 1 4: 4:4, 4: 1 a 7 INVENTOR Haw a1 arm/2mm BY C AT JZZJEYS March 8, 1956 H. w. STAHLECKER 3,238,570

SUPPORTING AND LOADING ARM FOR THE DRAWING MECHANISM OF A SPINNING MACHINE Filed May 10, 1963 3 SheetsSheet 2 Fig. 3

INVENTOR Mus m 8719/1154! ATTORNEYS March 8, 1966 H. w. STAHL KE 3,238,570

SUPPORTING AND LOADING A FOR E DRAWING MECHANISM OF A SPINNING MACHINE Filed May 10, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR HANS W. STAHLECKER United States Patent SUPPORTING AND LOADING ARM FOR THE DRAWING MECHANISM OF A SPINNING MACHINE Hans W. Stahlecker, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, as-

signor to Spindelfabrik Siissen Schurr, Stahlecker & Grill G.m.b.H., Sussen, Wurttemberg, Germany Filed May 10, 1963, Ser. No. 279,574 6 Claims. (Cl. 19267) The present invention relates to a supporting and loading arm for the drawing mechanism of a spinning machine which is provided with means which are easily accessible from above for adjusting the load and with a locking and relieving lever above the supporting and loading arm.

In some of the conventional types of supporting and loading arms, the load pressures to be exerted by the arm may be adjusted by means of one or more setscrews which are accessible from above. However, the supporting and loading arm of any of these known devices is not equipped with a locking lever above the arm, but the means for locking the arm are provided either at the inlet or outlet side of the drawing mechanism and can only be released after the locking pawl is released. Although such locking devices may be easily manipulated by the operators of the spinning machine when the load pressures are relatively small, it requires considerable physical strength to unlock such supporting and loading arms when the load pressures are very high. Therefore, in such cases, locking and relieving levers are provided which extend along a considerable part of the length of the supporting and loading arms and permit the locking means to be easily released without first requiring the load to be relieved. However, these locking and relieving levers have the disadvantage in the operative position of covering the means for adjusting the load pressures so that the latter are not accessible from above and the load pressures can therefore be adjusted only when the locking levers are tilted up and the supporting and loading arms are unlocked. Since the load pressures do not depend merely upon the selected spring tension, but also upon the position of the loading arm relative to the drawing plane, the unavoidable assembly tolerances, and also upon the friction of the supporting and guide elements for the upper rolls on the opposite surfaces of the supporting and loading arm, the adjustability of the load pressures is only of a limited value since it cannot be carried out in the operative position of the arm.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a supporting and loading arm which is equipped with a locking and relieving lever above and covering this arm and is designed so as to permit the load pressures which are produced by the loading means to be adjusted to the desired values by means of a measuring roll, later referred to, even when the supporting and loading arm is in the operative position and the machine is running.

This object is attained according to the invention by covering the means on the supporting and loading arm for adjusting the load pressures by means of a locking and relieving lever having a locking means as shown by the patent to Stahlecker, 3,078,520, this lever consisting of at least two parts, one of which forms the actual locking member while at least one other part thereof forms a covering member which is designed so as to be pivotable or slidable away from the mentioned adjusting means or to be removable entirely from the supporting and loading arm so that the adjusting means are accessible from above and the load pressures may be adjusted while the machine is running.

The above-mentioned as well as further features and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from the following detailed description ice thereof which is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 shows a side view, partly in cross section, of a supporting and loading arm according to the invention which is provided with a two-piece locking and relieving lever, the two parts of which are connected to each other by a screw connection;

FIGURE 2 shows a similar view of a modification of the invention, in which the supporting and loading arm is connected to the locking part by a hinge pin and may be tilted upwardly after a connecting member has been loosened;

FIGURE 3 shows a similar view of another modification of the invention, in which the supporting and loading arm is equipped with a locking lever with apertures therein which are covered by a removable cover; while FIGURE 4 shows a similar view of still another modification of the invention, in which the supporting and loading arm is similar to the arm as shown in FIGURE 3, but in which the removable cover also serves to rein force the locking lever.

FIGURE 5 shows a side view partly in cross-section of the arrangement of the upper and lower rolls together with load springs therefor common to all embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows the supporting rod 1 on which the supporting and loading arm 2 is pivotably mounted to permit it to be swung in the upward direction, and the locking part 3 of the locking and relieving lever 3, 3' by means of which the supporting and loading arm 2 may be locked to the clamping part 4. The setscrews 5 by means of which the load pressure of the load springs 7, shown in FIGURE 5, may be adjusted are not accessible during the drawing operation since they are covered by the locking lever 3, 3'. Further shown in FIGURE 5 are conventional upper rolls 8 supported by saddle means cooperating with the springs 7. While the foregoing conventional structure is shown in FIGURE 5 as being comprised in the FIGURE 1 species, it is to be understood that like structure is also employed in connection with the species of FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. Since this structure does not per se constitute applicants present invention and forms merely environment therefor, it is thought that illustration thereof in all four species of applicants invention would be superfluous. For adjusting the load pressure while the machine is running, it is necessary while the supporting and loading arm is lifted first to replace the upper roll for which the load pressure is to be adjusted by a measuring roll. Thereafter, the supporting and loading arm is again moved to its operative position and locked by depressing the locking lever. Thereupon, screw 6 is to be loosened so that the part 3' of the locking lever means may be removed and the setscrews 5 will become accessible. The measuring roll previously referring to is provided for the purpose of giving an indication of the loading pressure resulting an adjustment of the setscrews. Since this measuring roll forms no part of the present invention, further description thereof is thought to be superfluous. After the adjustment has been made, part 3' of the locking lever is again connected to the part 3.

The device as above described is preferably employed if the adjustment is to be carried out primarily at the times of installation or thorough cleaning of the device, that is, at relatively rare occasions. If, however, the spinning material or the product to be drawn requires more frequent adjustments of the load pressure, it is more advisable to employ a device as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

In this embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG- URE 2, the parts 23 and 23' are connected by a hinge with a hinge pin 27 and they are locked to each other by a locking screw 26. If the setscrews 25 are to be accessiwhich are covered by a cover 33'.

ble, it is merely necessary to turn the locking screw 26 so as to disengage from-'the pa1t-23. The other part 23- of the locking lever which rests on the supporting and load arm may then be easily swung up without thereby unlocking the latter.'

FIGURE 3 shows another embodiment of the invention in which the angular lever 33 which consists of a single piece of material is provided with apertures 38 The securing means means for this cover, in this case the hook or hooks 39 and the holding spring 39', may be designed so as to permit the cover to be taken off only when the locking lever is swung upwardly. These securing means may be released by pressing by hand against the free end 39" of the holding spring 39' which forms a catch. Since for installing and removing the measuring roll, the locking and relieving lever must in any event be swung upwardly, the manipulation of these securing means against an accidental removal of the cover 33 does not render the entire operation more difiicult. If the drawing mechanism requires the application of such high load pressures that there is a danger that in a device as illustrated in FIGURE 3 the provision of the apertures 38 in the locking and relieving lever might reduce its strength too much, this lever may be modified as shown in FIGURE 4, by being reinforced by the cover 43'. On its front end, this cover 43' is bent around the locking lever 43 forming a socket like connection 49,

While on its rear end a snap spring 46 is provided which is clamped into an aperture in the locking lever. By means of cover 43' and its socket-like connection to the locking and relieving lever 43, the apertures 48 in this lever are covered and the lever itself is reinforced to such an extent that the reduction of its solidity due to the apertures 48 is compensated.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, I wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, for example, the setscrews may also be made accessible in other manners than those previously described, for example, by pivoting parts of the locking and relieving lever laterally about an axis which extends substantially vertically to the drawing plane. The cover may also be made of plastic which is provided with elastic detents which engage into apertures in the locking lever. It-is also possible to provide slide members .of sheet metal or plastic which are laterally guided between projections or in recesses on the locking lever.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim is:

1. A supporting and loading arm for a drawing mechanism of a spinning machine having spring-loaded rolls and means for adjusting the load on said rolls accessible from above, a locking and relieving lever above said arm extending nearly over the whole length thereof for locking said loading arm in operative position, said lever comprising two parts, one of said parts forming a locking means for said-loading arm and the other of said parts forming a cover over said adjusting means, and means movably securing said cover to said lever, said securing means comprising means facilitating the selective movability of said cover to such an extent that said adjusting means may be actuated while said supporting and loading arm is in operating position during the operation of said spinning machine.

2. A supporting and loading arm as defined in claim 1, in which said securing means comprise a screw connection between said cover and said locking means.

3. A supporting and loading arm as defined in claim 1,

'in which said securing means comprise a hinge connection between said cover and said locking means.

- 4. A supporting and loading arm as defined in claim 1, in which said securing means comprise a socket connection between said cover and said locking means.

5. A supporting and loading arm as defined in claim 1, in which said securing means may be released to unlock said cover from said locking means only when said locking means is swung upwardly, said securing means comprising a releasable means in engagement with said locking means and disposed beneath said cover.

6. A supporting and loading arm as defined in claim 1, in which said locking means is provided with apertures affording access to said adjusting means, said other of said two parts being removably disposed in a position covering said apertures, said securing means being accessible externally of said two parts and facilitating the selec tive removal of said other of said parts from said position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,920,356 1/1960 Schrotz 19282 3,021,574 2/1962 DausCh et a1 l9282 FOREIGN PATENTS 711,425 6/ 1954 Great Britain. 748,844 5/ 1956 Great Britain. 830,614 3/ 1960 Great Britain. 830,991 3/1960 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. D. NEWTON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SUPPORTING AND LOADING ARM FOR A DRAWING MECHANISM OF A SPINNING MACHINE HAVING SPRING-LOADED ROLLS AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE LOAD ON SAID ROLLS ACCESSIBLE FROM ABOVE, A LOCKING AND RELIEVING LEVER ABOVE SAID ARM EXTENDING NEARLY OVER THE WHOLE LENGTH THEREOF FOR LOCKING SAID LOADING ARM IN OPERATIVE POSITION, SAID LEVER COMPRISING TWO PARTS, ONE OF SAID PARTS FORMING A LOCKING MEANS FOR SAID LOADING ARM AND THE OTHER OF SAID PARTS FORMING A COVER OVER SAID ADJUSTING MEANS, AND MEANS MOVABLY SECURING SAID COVER TO SAID LEVER, SAID SECURING MEANS COMPRISING MEANS FACILITATING THE SELECTIVE MOVABILITY OF SAID COVER TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT SAID ADJUSTING MEANS MAY BE ACTUATED WHILE SAID SUPPORTING AND LOADING ARMS IS IN OPERATING POSITION DURING THE OPERATION OF SAID SPINNING MACHINE. 